Penrose figures are impossible objects that were first described by the mathematician and philosopher Roger Penrose in the 1950s.
They are optical illusions that depict objects that appear to violate the laws of three-dimensional geometry. Penrose figures are typically drawn or represented as two-dimensional images, but they create the illusion of a three-dimensional object that cannot actually exist in the real world.
Some common examples of Penrose figures include the Penrose triangle, which appears to have vertices that join in impossible ways, and the Penrose stair, which appears to be a staircase that goes on forever, with the steps constantly descending and yet never reaching the bottom.
These figures challenge our perception of the world and have been used in art, architecture, and psychology to study the workings of the human mind and the limits of human perception.
Table of Contents
- How do Penrose Shapes work?
- Versions of the Penrose Shapes
- Illusions like Penrose Shapes
- Discovery of Penrose Shapes
- References and Resources
- Sign up for emails from Mental Bomb
How do the Penrose Shapes work?
Penrose shapes work by exploiting the limitations of human perception.
They create the illusion of objects that violate the laws of three-dimensional geometry, by arranging two-dimensional lines and shapes in such a way as to suggest depth and perspective.
Our brains interpret these lines and shapes as representing a three-dimensional object, even though the object depicted is physically impossible.
The illusion arises because our brain relies on certain assumptions and expectations about the way objects should behave in space, and these assumptions are violated by the impossible objects depicted in Penrose figures.
As a result, our perception of the object is altered, and we see something that is not actually there.
The exact way that Penrose figures work is still not fully understood, and they continue to be a subject of study in the fields of psychology, neuroscience, and mathematics.
Penrose shapes have been used to study cognitive psychology and perception as it is a good example of how the human brain can be deceived by visual illusions, and also how we perceive and interpret visual information.
Versions of the Penrose Shapes
The following are some alternate versions of the Penrose Shapes:
Illusions like Penrose Shapes
Penrose shapes are an optical illusion. They create the illusion of three-dimensional objects that appear to violate the laws of geometry, and as a result, our perception of the object is altered, and we see something that is not actually there.
Penrose shapes are a type of impossible object, which are objects that appear to be logically and physically impossible.
They are also a type of Paradox illusion. Paradox illusions are a type of optical illusion that involve images that appear to be self-contradictory or impossible. They typically involve the manipulation of visual cues such as size, shape, movement, and depth perception to create an image that appears to be impossible or defies our understanding of the physical world.
In general, these illusions work by exploiting the way the visual system processes information. The brain relies on certain cues, such as perspective, shading, and texture, to infer the 3D structure of an object. When these cues are manipulated in a certain way, the brain can be fooled into perceiving an impossible or self-contradictory image.
Some related illusions include the following:
The Penrose stairs, also known as the impossible staircase or the Penrose steps, is a visual illusion in the form of an impossible object created by the mathematician and physicist Roger Penrose.
The illusion is a two-dimensional representation of a staircase that appears to ascend or descend indefinitely, yet is physically impossible to climb or descend because the steps are not connected in a logical manner.
It is often used as an example of the type of optical illusion that can occur in the human brain and is used in cognitive psychology to study perception and attention.
The Penrose triangle, also known as the Penrose tribar, is an optical illusion that depicts a three-dimensional object that is physically impossible to construct.
The Rubin vase, also known as the Rubin face or the figure-ground vase, is a famous optical illusion in which the image of a vase can also be perceived as two faces in profile looking at each other.
The duck-rabbit illusion is an optical illusion that is an image that can be perceived as either a duck or a rabbit depending on how the viewer looks at it.
The Necker cube is an optical illusion that features a simple wireframe drawing of a cube. The cube appears to switch back and forth between two different orientations.
The My Wife and My Mother-in-Law illusion is an optical illusion with an image of a young woman’s face that can also be perceived as an older woman’s face.
The Schröder Staircase is an optical illusion that features a drawing of a staircase. The staircase appears to be either ascending or descending, depending on how the brain interprets the angles of the lines.
The impossible cube is an optical illusion that depicts a three-dimensional object that is physically impossible to construct.
The impossible trident is a three-pronged impossible shape resembling a trident. It is usually depicted as a three-pronged fork with each prong appearing to be a continuation of the next, creating an impossible shape.
The spinning dancer illusion is a visual illusion that depicts a silhouette of a dancer spinning clockwise or counterclockwise. The direction of the dancer’s spin can appear to change depending on the viewer’s perception
The impossible cylinder is an impossible shape resembling a cylinder similar to the Penrose triangle, impossible cube, and the impossible trident.
The Shepard elephant illusion is an optical illusion that was created by the artist David H. Shepard. The illusion is a black-and-white line drawing of an elephant that appears to be three-dimensional and in motion, despite being a flat, static image.
The illusion is created by using a technique called “anamorphosis,” which involves distorting an image in a specific way so that when it is viewed from a certain angle or perspective, it appears to be in a different form or shape.
Discovery of Penrose Shapes
Penrose shapes were first described by the British mathematician and philosopher Roger Penrose in the 1950s.
He published a paper on the topic in 1958, in which he introduced the concept of impossible objects and demonstrated how they could be used to create illusions that challenge our perception of the world. P
enrose’s work was inspired by the artist M.C. Escher, who was known for his use of impossible objects in his art, and Penrose sought to understand the mathematical and perceptual principles behind these illusions. His work laid the foundation for the field of impossible objects, and his name has become synonymous with the concept of impossible figures.
Today, Penrose shapes continue to be a subject of study in the fields of psychology, neuroscience, and mathematics, and they are widely recognized as one of the most famous examples of optical illusions.
One of the more famous Penrose shapes, the Penrose stairs, was first created by the British mathematician and physicist Roger Penrose and his father Lionel Penrose, a psychiatrist and mathematician, in the 1950s.
Sir Roger Penrose is a renowned British mathematical physicist and Nobel laureate. He was born in 1931 and is still active today. He is known for his work in the fields of cosmology, general relativity, and quantum mechanics. He was awarded the Nobel Prize in Physics in 2020, jointly with Reinhard Genzel and Andrea Ghez, for his contributions to the understanding of the properties of black holes.
Penrose’s research has focused on the fundamental nature of space and time and the structure of the universe, he proposed new ways of understanding the Big Bang, black holes, and the nature of the universe itself. He has also been interested in the connection between physics and mathematics, particularly in the area of geometry. Penrose has written several books on these topics, which have been widely read and discussed by both scientists and the general public.
Penrose is also known for his work on the concept of “cosmic censorship” which is a theory that states that the singularities that occur in black holes are always hidden from the outside observer. He also developed new mathematical techniques, such as the Penrose diagram, which are used to describe the behavior of black holes and other singularities. Penrose is considered one of the most influential theoretical physicist of the 20th century and his work has had a significant impact on our understanding of the universe.
References and Resources
Check out our complete list of illusions.
Sign Up to Have Your Mind Blown